NaMo reveals his poor knowledge of history yet again ("History his weak point")

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's grasp of Indian history seems to be getting him into trouble regularly.

On Monday, at a ceremony in Washington DC to mark the repatriation of ancient Indian cultural artifacts, Modi took the opportunity to expound on India's heritage.

"Konark ke Sun Temple mei 2000 saal pehle uss samay ke kalakaro ne aaj ki modern fashionable girl, jo skirt pehenti hai, aur haath mei purse rakhti hai, unki murtiyan bhi banayi hui hai. Matlab us samay bhi ye cheeze maujood hongi (In Konark Sun Temple, over 2000 years ago, artists made sculptures akin to the modern fashionable girl who wears skirts and holds a purse in her hand. This means such things were there in those times also) ," the Prime Minister said.

With this observation, Modi proved yet again that history is not his strong point.

The Sun Temple at Konark, Odisha, according to the Archaeological Survey of India, was built in the 13th-century CE or 700 years ago. The temple is more known for its erotic sculptures, though it also does have images of women wearing heels and garments akin to skirts sculpted on its walls.

According to The Telegraph, this wasn't first time the Prime Minister thought the Konark temple is 2000 years old. In 2004, at the inauguration of a new campus of the National Institute of Fashion Technology in Gandhinagar, Modi had said, "The 2000-year-old engraved idols on the walls of the Sun Temple in Konark are shown wearing mini-skirts and holding a purse. This proves that we have a legacy of fashion technology since times immemorial."

Twitter didn't lose much time in giving Modi history lessons and making mirthful references to his observations on the sartorial style of Indian women of yore....

At BJP's "Hunkar rally" in Patna in 2013, Modi made several goof-ups during his speech. In the fiery oration that was telecast live by several television channels, the Prime Minister said, "When we think of the Gupta dynasty, we remember Chandragupta Maurya."

Chandragupta Maurya, as is evident from his name, was the founder of the Maurya Empire and the first emperor to unify large parts of the Indian subcontinent under one state. Modi, in all likelihood, confused him with Chandragupta Vikramaditya of the Gupta dynasty.

According to reports, Modi also said that Porus was defeated on the bank of the Ganga, thus getting both his history and geography wrong.

In 326 BC, Alexander the Great fought against King Porus of the Paurava kingdom on the banks of the river Hydaspes (now known as the Jhelum), at a spot that is now in the Punjab province of Pakistan.

He also said that the ancient learning centre of Takshashila, situated in present day Pakistan, was in Bihar. Perhaps Modi had Vikramshila in mind, which indeed is situated in Bihar.

Soon after his speech, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar called Modi's knowledge of history "amazing"...

In the age of the Internet and social media, you are not allowed to forget your mistakes easily. Certainly not if you are the leader of a country like India. It probably wont be a bad idea for our Prime Minister, and his speech writers, to brush up on Indian history and save himself from further embarrassment.

http://www.huffingtonpost.in/2016/06/08/modi-history-sun-temple_n_10348880.html

he's the best prime minister the country had in 70+ yrs, who gives a fuck if he's not a historian?

Propagandhi711 wrote:he's the best prime minister the country had in 70+ yrs, who gives a fuck if he's not a historian?

Best PM according to what yardstick?

Rashmun wrote:Prime Minister Narendra Modi's grasp of Indian history seems to be getting him into trouble regularly.

On Monday, at a ceremony in Washington DC to mark the repatriation of ancient Indian cultural artifacts, Modi took the opportunity to expound on India's heritage.

"Konark ke Sun Temple mei 2000 saal pehle uss samay ke kalakaro ne aaj ki modern fashionable girl, jo skirt pehenti hai, aur haath mei purse rakhti hai, unki murtiyan bhi banayi hui hai. Matlab us samay bhi ye cheeze maujood hongi (In Konark Sun Temple, over 2000 years ago, artists made sculptures akin to the modern fashionable girl who wears skirts and holds a purse in her hand. This means such things were there in those times also) ," the Prime Minister said.

With this observation, Modi proved yet again that history is not his strong point.

http://www.huffingtonpost.in/2016/06/08/modi-history-sun-temple_n_10348880.html

The mistake is in the (English) translation of what Modi said in Hindi (in bold letters above) and not what he actually said in Hindi. He is referring in Hindi is to the old Konark temple showing / displaying 2000 years ancient present-day type fashionable girls and not that Konark temple is 2000 years old.

Believe it or not, there is a temple near my village that has an idol of Sita and Ram who lived more than 5000 yrs. ago in Ayodhya. Does that mean I am saying this temple near my village is 5000 yrs. old? Of course, not. The temple btw is only 15 yrs. old. The same thing above.